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I used to laugh at videos where people went to their bench-top mortising station because it seemed like they were just throwing money at a problem that could be solved with a decently sharp chisel and a little skill and patience. This is what I used to think about them (I have neither). I think I’ve made about 200 mortise and tenon joints by hand this way over the years.
The project I was working on had more than 100 mortise and tenon joints. I didn’t want to spend a week hand-making them in my spare time, so I bought this.
Now, it’s the best tool in the shop.
It needs to be set up and fine-tuned a lot, and it won’t be as clean as hand-cutting. But oh my gosh, it makes things move so much faster. It only takes a minute to clear a 2 inch hole to any depth.